Stephanie Phung

I started this myspace account as an extension of my TNT website in order to be able to blog and tell a little more about my reason for participating in TNT. I also thought it would be a great way to network in the TNT and running community. A little over a month ago, I was just surfing the net and I got the random idea to search through my high school graduating class to see if there were any familiar faces that I hadn't seen on myspace before.

Something about Erin's profile caught my eye. I looked at her pictures and though her face was familiar to me, and though her profile showed that we graduated in the same class, I couldn't remember for sure how we may have known each other. (My guess was probably AP English but I'm not positive.) So I sent her a message. I told her that I read about her leukemia. I said I wasn't sure if she remembered me from high school, but I wanted to let her know that I am running with Team in Training and that I would like to add her as a "myspace friend".

Erin remembered me from High School, (I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not), and was so gracious about my foggy memory of her - as she said after all it has been 11 years. Erin was happy to share her story with me and invite me into her circle of myspace friends. Early in 2007, Erin signed up to participate in Team in Training with her fiance', Dan. Shortly after signing up for the Team, Erin was diagnosed with Acute Myelogeneous Leukemia and became the honored teammate for the Atlanta TNT Chapter where she was planning to train for a marathon.

When I met Erin on myspace, she was in remission and was about to begin an agressive treatment to cure her cancer - a bone marrow transplant. The dates of her transplant could not have been more ironic to me, as they were almost exactly 2 years after my mom began her bone marrow transplant. Erin is almost 3 weeks into her transplant process and continues to fight the symptoms of the transplant, including losing all of her hair, the ulcers in her mouth and throat, and the overall body aches as her body has begun to regenerate a new immune system.

By the time I finish my marathon training, Erin will have a new immune system and will be cured of her Leukemia. From the moment I met Erin she has been an inspiration because of her unending courage and hope for a cure, not only for herself but for others suffering from blood cancers. Erin reminds me that the battle was not lost with my mom. The battle is just beginning.

Stephanie

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